Saturday, October 17, 2020

The Esoteric Side of Masking Up

Since March 2020, there has been much talk about the alleged medical benefits or deleterious effects of mask wearing in the era of Covid-19. What is not being discussed is the symbology of the mask and what it represents.

On the surface, some are saying that if you do not wear a mask, you are not patriotic or you don't love Grandma or some other person in your life. Others say that if you bend the knee to the state and wear the mask, you are serving something other than God and this is where the whole idea of mask wearing takes on a different dimension.

Throughout history, people have used masks to hide their identity or to become someone else. Members of ancient fraternities, religions and cults wore masks during their rituals in practice of their beliefs. In ancient Greek Theater, the actors would dawn masks to project the emotions or the characters they played and to hide their own persona.

The esoteric meaning of the mask is that you do not have to be who you are. You can place a mask on your face and be anonymous or to be someone else. It becomes a talisman that allows you a public and a private persona. It's at this point that masks become avatars for ourselves. I would offer all the personally designed masks that can be viewed at the grocery store as evidence. We become what our masks represent in the eyes of others. My personal opinion is that masks are becoming a spiritual denial of who we really are.

We are created in the image of God and this is not just a spiritual image in my view. Our entire being, physically and spiritually are made in His image. To cover our faces is to conceal that image. This is probably not good.

One more point. How many of you use a person's facial expressions to make determinations about what a person is telling you in conversation or how they react to what you are saying? I have to say that I do it and always have. The mask makes this much more difficult.

Just some things to think about when you go out.

Do I wear a mask? The answer is yes, on specific occasions. Haircuts, voting, certain retail establishments. Do I feel compromised, given my attitude about masks? Just a bit. But we have to be careful. Jesus said it best. "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Jefferson Knew...

 "...What country before ever existed a century and half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure. "

Thomas Jefferson

Ignorance at the Capitol

The SCOTUS hearings going on in the US Senate are a prime example of the ignorance and deception that our elected politicians use to twist the psyche of US voters.

They ALL seem anxious to advocate for a Supreme Court that will actively engage in law making so they don't have to make unpopular decisions.
The United States Supreme Court, according to the US Constitution, is not a law making body. That is up to the legislative branch of government (House and Senate). The purpose of the Supreme Court is to interpret the law to determine its constitutionality. If they find a law that is in violation of the constitutional rights of Americans, they can throw it out or they can throw out the offending section(s) of that law. It's what the founders intended and I would note that some of the founders did not like the Supreme Court at all.
What is happening in Washington this week with the confirmation of the latest candidate for SCOTUS is nothing less than a circus, a very unentertaining circus. Both the Republicans and the Democrats want a Supreme Court that will either repeal or rubber stamp difficult legislation whether it is constitutional or not.
The primary concern of the Court in our nation should be whether our laws are in line with the supreme law of the land - the Constitution. There should be no other purpose in their deliberations.
If a law is unconstitutional on its face, it must be overturned and sent back to the Capitol for rewrite or death. If a section of the law in question is determined to be unconstitutional, it too must be sent back for repairs. It really is just that simple. There should be no activist courts. There should only be a determination of constitutionality.
Unfortunately, over the last 70 years, we have allowed a politicization of the courts that was never meant to be. I think the reason for this is that it's too much work to amend the Constitution. It's easier just to find people for the court that agree with the political positions of the majority at a given time and let them find penumbral rights that do not exist or constitutional authority for things that the founders never intended.
It all comes down to laziness really. If our legislators want to ensure that a law is not struck down as unconstitutional, they need to stay within Constitutional boundaries or amend our founding document to reflect the times we live in.
The American people are at fault here too. We want the people we elect to do what we voted them in for, but we do not want to hold them accountable , or if we do, we just elect someone else that will lie to us.
The agendas of the House and Senate are no longer our agendas, but we keep voting for them as long as they dish out the gravy.
I hate to say it, but I think the only way to fix the current brokenness is to flip the table and start again. If I recall my history, the French revolution was as messy as what they were overthrowing, but the Guillotine brought justice to the malignant narcissists that were governing France.
It might be time to create a more malleable legislature in the US by similar methods.

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Sunday, August 28, 2016

All Right...Last Post here...TDGH is Closed


http://faithandtheunreasonable.blogspot.com/

I am reopening The Daily Ground Hog for reference purposes. If you need to hold me accountable or point out my paranoia or how I hurt you, it will now be possible. Comments will be available for your trolling pleasure. I will not be checking this blog very often as there is a new one. The link for the new one is below. If you really want to know what I was thinking in a particular post, then please email me at:

groundhog001@gmail.com

As you read the closing posts of the blog, please do not misconstrue my thoughts / feelings as final. They are not. I am currently going through a spiritual evolution / revolution right now. It's been rough and will probably continue for awhile. Please be patient with me. Right now I am an unfinished portrait.

If you find that I have offended you, well, a number of things are possible. I may just have hit a truth that hit you square between the eyes...I occasionally hit the target. If I was just being mean, nasty, sarcastic and judgemental, then I apologize. I am often of two minds about things and this will probably continue.

If you find you want more, you will need to go here:   http://faithandtheunreasonable.blogspot.com/

Again, I am a bit of a loose cannon. If you are easily offended or uninitiated in my ways, then perhaps you should avoid it like the plague. Your experience here should have been enough to tell you that.

Anyway, I probably love you or still love you even though I do not act like it sometimes. Please come by the new place and have a look. You will be welcome. The Teacher awaits your arrival. You will not need a hall pass if you're late. Just check in. Later...TDGH

Monday, August 22, 2016

The Dark Side

In "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" there is a scene that takes place aboard the death star between Luke, Darth Vader and the Emperor. Darth has taken his son, Luke, to the Emperor in an effort to convert him to the dark side. It's a scene packed with emotion that I think is lost on many because of the bad acting, the special effects and the movie music.

Luke absolutely hates the dark side of the force. He hates the Empire. He hates the knowledge that his father is Darth Vader, arguably the most evil man in the universe with the exception of the Emperor himself. He wants no part of it, but he also feels compassion for his father amidst all the evil that he has perpetrated and he wants to try and save him, to reignite the dead love in Darth's hearts.

After a light saber (I still want one) duel with his father, where in a rage of anger and hate, he hacks off his father's bionic arm, Luke stands before the Emperor. He is encouraged to embrace the dark side of the force. Feel the hate. Feel the power. And then....then...replace his father at the Emperor's side. All of this is said as Darth is standing by, his saber bearing arm stub still smoldering from the heat of Luke's blade.

In a moment of power and strength of character, Luke bends like a reed. He drops his saber to the floor, looks at the Emperor and says he will never join the dark side - that He is a Jedi like his father before him.

The enraged Emperor then informs the young Jedi that he will die. There is intense, lighting bolt like energy emitted from the Emperor's fingers. It appears that Luke will will die a slow agonizing electrical death. After an eternity of shock therapy is administered to his son, Anakin Skywalker awakens and destroys the Emperor.     

The universe is saved, Darth is saved, Luke is saved. Evil dies. Goodness and love prevail.

Oh that real life was like this. It would be so awesome. But, you know what? It's not.

Evil and good seem to coexist and while there are times that we feel or witness one or the other winning, they both have their days. They both bring advantage and sacrifice. They can both bring pain and pleasure.

I'm kind of tired of both of them. I just want to let them fight it out and continue to do what I'm doing, but usually one or the other, good or evil, will drag you out and force you to dance. So just let me say this.

While I regret ever having left Tatooine, I will never join the dark side.

Like my father and grandfather before me, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Feel the power of that and turn with me now toward Him. From everlasting to everlasting He is GOD.